SEASONAL WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 72, 18 December 1937, Page 29

SEASONAL WORKERS

Not To Get Undue Benefit From Relief NEW SCHEME ANNOUNCED By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, December 16. A new system of granting unemployment relief to seasonal workers to prevent them from drawing undue benefits from the. Employment Fund was announced this evening by the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong. The Minister explained that one of the points which had emerged during the close investigation which was be-

ing made into various classes of unemployment workers included in the register of unemployed was that employees in seasonal occupations were being admitted to unemployment relief benefits Immediately at the end of their season.

In past years seasonal' workers had customarily relied on their season’s

earnings to support them during at least a portion of the off season, continued the Minister. 'ln fairness to other contributors to the fund it had been decided that some account must be taken of seasonal earnings when application was made for relief. It was not intended in future to permit such seasonal workers as shearers, freezing works and butter and cheese factory employees to be entered in the register of unemployed immediately after their seasonal employment. The method now to be adopted would not operate harshly. Seasonal workerg registering for relief at the end of the season would be considered eligible fop benefits when their earnings for the 12 weeks before the date of eligibility were approximately equivalent to an average of £4 a week over that period. If at the date of application the average earnings over the last 12 weeks were below £4 a week no stand-down period would be involved. “Employment officers are being supplied with full details of the new system and persons likely to be affected by it are advised to obtain further information from them,” concluded Mr. Armstrong.